Well, they found a lot of drummers. They put an ad in a magazine in England called Sounds. I wasn't really looking, but through one thing and another, it was all sort of like in the paper that said, "Heavy rock drummer required. If you don't hit hard, don't apply."

So long story short, I applied and I went down there, didn't know who it was, played to three cover songs, I came home, they called me back and then when I went back… I couldn't afford to go back, so they paid for the taxi because I was broke. So I go back anyway, and I'm taken into this other rehearsal room in the same complex and there's like flight cases with AC/DC on 'em, and I'm, like, "Holy fucking shit, what's goin' on 'ere then?" (Laughs)

So I go in, and they're all there and we said hello and just played. I mean, there was no big fanfare introductions, really. It was just, like, "Get on with it and let's work." So we played for like half an hour or 40 minutes and then we sat down for a bit and they just started talking about the next tour and stuff. I turned round to, I think it was Mal' (Malcolm Young) and said, "Does this mean I'm in the band?" and he was, like, "Yeah, looks like." So you know, it's all very low key… It was a big cattle call. It was a lot of drummers. I'm not trying to shout my own praises. I don't know why I got the gig. Probably because I'm not very tall or something. (Laughs)

What shows really stand out in your memory of your time with AC/DC and why?

When we played Castle Donington with VAN HALEN. That was a pretty tremendous time. I had all my family down and just headlining Castle Donington — it was unbelievable. I went down early to watch VAN HALEN. It was just unreal. I mean, it was in 1984 and I think maybe 3, 4, 5 years before that, I'd been home at home listening to VAN HALEN and now I'm standing at the side of the stage watchin' 'em and then my band goes on after 'em.

Amazing how things happen like that, no?

It's really bizarre. A lot of it was surreal. You know what I mean? You get thrown into something like that and you go like, "Wait a minute, that's Eddie Van Halen in the tuning room, in the dressing room, and you get to talk to him. I know many other people too. I remember Phil Collins. I got to talk to Phil Collins one time in New York. I really enjoyed Phil Collins' drumming in GENESIS. I always had lots of influences, so to actually meet him and say hello to him and to actually meet him — he didn't say very much, you know, it was a thrill. I think it was two or three nights sold out at Madison Square Garden, so he came along as well and we were on the same record label. It was unbelievable. Another time was when we played Rock In Rio in '85. That was unbelievable too. A huge sea of people — 250,000. Just people for miles and miles and miles. I was so lucky. Those shows stick in your head. Fantastic.

So what's the reason you left AC/DC?

I'd been in the band, that seemed to me for quite a long time, and it was pretty close to eight years, and I just had other things going on. I just wanted to do more as a player and a musician. It sounds pretty crazy. You're gonna leave one of the biggest rock and roll bands in the world. But it's not always about the money. It's about playing and you are just kinda growing within yourself. It was a gradual process, and I became a bit complacent with what was going on and it was nothing against the band. Their music is brilliant and it always will be brilliant. There's some classic stuff there. They could see that I wasn't 100% behind it and it's no use to a band like that, because they need someone who is 100% behind everything and it was a kind of a mutual, gradual thing. It wasn't a big drama thing or anything like that, and I've been back to see 'em. I think it was three years ago at the (L.A.) Forum and it was on the "Black Ice" tour. There's no animosity about what happened with them or me. Obviously…

You needed a change?

Yeah. It just happened like that. That's just the way it happened, and you've got to move on from there, and luckily I found Ronnie James Dio and played in his band, so it worked out alright.